The Chinese internet is celebrating the return of another bronze animal head looted from Beijing by French and British troops nearly 160 years ago.
The horse head, one of a 12-piece set of bronze animal heads representing the Chinese zodiac, was stolen from the Old Summer Palace in 1860, when Anglo-French troops invaded China.
On Wednesday, the sculpture was donated to the Chinese government by Macau's casino king Stanley Ho, who bought the artifact for $8.9 million in 2007.
The Communist Party has portrayed the stolen animal heads as symbols of the nation's "century of humiliation," which began in the mid-19th century and ended with the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. During this period, China was dominated or invaded by colonial powers.
In recent years, some wealthy collectors, especially Chinese collectors, have been buying the looted antiques and returning them.
In China, the repatriations serve as a reminder of the nation's tumultuous past and also help to stoke nationalistic pride in the country's current ascendancy.
Following an official donation ceremony on Wednesday, many social media users say they are deeply impressed by the return of the "national treasure."
"Thank you Mr Ho," said a comment on the Twitter-like Weibo. "Hope more bronze heads can come back to their mother's arms."
"Remember, the weak gets bullied," said another. "The young generation has to work hard for a better China."
The horse head was first auctioned in New York in 1987, according to a report by the state-run People's Daily newspaper. In 1989, a Taiwanese collector purchased it with $290,000 and brought to the self-ruled island.
Despite protests from the Chinese government, the piece was put up for auction at Sotheby's in Hong Kong in 2007. Ho, one of Asia's richest men, bought it and promised to return it to Beijing.
Ho had previously bought the pig head and donated it to a state-owned Chinese museum.
The horse head will be exhibited at the National Museum of China till November 27, along with six other animal heads in the Chinese capital, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The whereabouts of the remaining five animal heads " dragon, dog, snake, goat and chicken " remains a mystery.
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